Disk herniation is a troublesome disorder, which causes great pain and lost of motility, and thereby loss of productive life. Disk herniation will cause trouble to a varying degree, and the pain may last for a month or in sever cases up to 6 months. Beside the pain sciatica may cause sever handicapping problems, as the one suffering therefrom will feel crippled thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,092 discloses the use of hydroxamic acid compounds and carbocyclic acids as metalloproteinase and TNF inhibitors, and in particular in treatment of arthritis and other related inflammatory diseases. No use of these compounds for the treatment of nerve root injuries is disclosed or hinted at.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,833 discloses the use of tetracyclines to enhance bone protein synthesis, and treatment of osteoporosis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,897 discloses inhibition of mammalian collagenolytic enzymes by tetracyclines. The collagenolytic activity is manifested by excessive bone resorption, periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulceration of cornea, or resorption of skin or other connective tissue collagen.
Neither of these latter two documents mentions nerve root injury or the treatment thereof. It has been noted that cytokines from nucleus pulposus-cells such as TNF-α, interleukin 1-β and interferon-γ and others cause structural and functional damages on closely situated nerves in connection with e.g., a disk herniation. Furthermore the nerve becomes sensitized by these substances to produce pain when they are mechanically deformed.